Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-10

i climbed up to the scaffoIding. near
the top. where I was working. The
scaffolding itself was light and offered
a very narrow foothold, but / was ac-
customed to working at much greater
elevations and had no fear or thought
of danger. A light breeze was blow
ing down below, but where l was the
effect of the wind was. of course. much
stronger. / was wearing . broad
brimmed straw hat to protect my eyes
from the sun. and was whistling con-
tentedly as punched the holes in my
slates with the point of my hammer
and drove in the nails with the other
end. But perhaps you do not know
what slater's hammer is, do you?
thought not
Il will describe it. then, as other
wise you will hardly understand what
am about to tell you. You see the
hammer is made something like a
short pick, about eight or ten inches
in length, with very fine sharp point
at one end and hammer-headed at the
other. The point is made fine. so that
by striking light and quick blow you
can pierce slate without chipping or
cracking it.
GAS l was saying. I was at work, as
needless of danger as though it did
not exist. when slight gust of wind
caught the rim of my hat and raised it
from my head. Momentarily forget
full of where was threw my hand
behind me in an effort to catch it. The
action was a slight one. but it nearly
cost me my life. and that by the most
horrible of deaths. The planking OF
the scaffold on which l stood was very
narrow. and l was standing near the
outer edge. If you have ever stood on
narrow foothold. even on or near
the ground. you will know what a
trifling thing will cause you to lose
your balance. You must remember
that had my hammer in my hand
"Well. sir. the weight of the ham,
mer and the effort of throwing out my
arm behind me caused me to lose my
balance. 1 tottered; my body bent
backward; 1 fell. my heels on the edge
of the planks. and in an instant saw
myself in Imagination bleeding and
crushed out Of all semblance of hui
mainly on the ground beneath ME. 1t
all passed in a second. How it hap
pened l can hardly tell 1 had no
thought of saving my life. l had
no idea that it could be saved. had. in
fact. no thought of any thing. have
heard of drowning men catching at
straws; 1 don't believe they do any
thing of the kind. I believe from my
own experience that the man who be-
lieves himself in the immediate pres
| ence of sudden and violent death by
accident catches at nothing, but
| throws out his arms uncOnsciOusly
with an involuntary action of the mus
cles founded in despair. At least that
was the case with me.
1T was just this way; my body was
bent backward over the edge. and it
seemed as if nothing could save me.
when with just such despairing &C.
ton as ! have described. threw out
my arm, and as did so. l felt that in
my terror and despair had driven the
point of Il hammer. which still held
in my hand. deep into the scantling
above my head. which served to bind
together the upright timbers of the
scaffoldin4 and hardly knowing what
did. with this slight support drew
myself toward the steeple. and as felt
my feet once more on solid found alton.
sank unconscious on the scaffold.
How long l remained in that con.
dition do not know; it was probably
not more than a few minutes; but
when I regained consciousness felt
that my nerve was all gone. rose
and crawled cautiously down the lad.
der which l had ascend ed so confident.
ly a short time before.
Il was not then a coward. Idon't
believe am a coward now. l have
no fear of death or danger, but since
that day have never again been able
to ascend a ladder. l can not ever
look down on the street from an up.
per window without having come over
me the same feeling whose effects you
have just witnessed. Twas compelled
to give up the trade to which had
been brought up and seek other EN-.
ployment. You m any think me a cow
ard. but am not. Ihave no fear of any
thing The feeling that comes over
me is simply physical 1t is associated
with my recollection of the horror OF
that moment, and is absolutely uncon.
trolable. not only can not work at
or look down any elevation. but I can
not even see others doing so. The
sight of child looking out of an up
per story widow will affect me in the
manner you have just seen and l will
fall as if taken by cataleptic fit; in
fact the doctors tell me that my weak
ness is sort of catalepsy. produced
by the absolute SCATTERING Of my
nervous system on the occasion to
which have narrated l know my
weakness. and therefore avoid looking
at any thing of that kind. and l don't
know what possessed me to look up at
that l;uon,,u met now n-AIfn Cnli,